Manuscript
Page: 98

Pages from John Williams' Day Book, November 1783

Page: 85 | 86 | 89 | 90 | 98 | 101
Date: 1783
Creator: John Williams
About this artifact

These pages from John Williams' Day Book show the types of goods people in Deerfield, Massachusetts were purchasing in the fall of 1783. Day books were kept by merchants so they knew what was sold to whom, on a daily basis. Purchases by individuals were then transferred into the account book, which contained a running tally of the debits and credits for each person. During the American Revolution, imported textiles and other goods upon which Americans relied became scarce because of the lack of imports. With the end of the war in 1783, goods were once again imported from England and became widely available. That fall, people flocked to stores to replace or replenish items they had been "making do" without, for many years.

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Courtesy Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield, MA